


Anything

by burning_books



Category: Prodigal Son (TV 2019)
Genre: But she does it anyway, Dani Powell is tired of fixing Malcolm, Drunk Malcolm Bright, F/M, Fluff, Hurt Malcolm Bright, Malcolm Bright can't shut his mouth, Protective Dani Powell, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-29
Updated: 2020-04-29
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:02:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23905855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/burning_books/pseuds/burning_books
Summary: She won't admit it, but Dani Powell will do anything Malcolm Bright asks.
Relationships: Malcolm Bright & Dani Powell, Malcolm Bright/Dani Powell
Comments: 1
Kudos: 80





	Anything

"Bright! What the hell happened to you?!" Dani exclaimed, dashing over to his side and crouching down next to him. Malcolm was laying out on the ground behind a sketchy bar, nose bleeding, lip busted, and left eye beginning to swell. She noticed the tears in his dress shirt and vest, both spotted with blood. His jacket was nowhere to be seen. 

"I... I had two drinks too many and got into a verbal... altercation with the wrong guy... It escalated past verbal... as you can see..." he slurred, obviously drunk and in pain. Dani did not envy the headache he'd have tomorrow.

"Alright, come on, let's get you home and get those bruises looked at." She gently helped him to his feet, slung his arm around her shoulders, and wrapped her own arm around his waist. She walked him to her car - she drove because he sounded scared on the phone, and it was late, and a whole list of other excuses - and helped him into the passenger seat. She even reached in and buckled his seat belt for him, which he barely seemed to register. 

She drove back to his apartment more carefully, listening to Malcolm ramble next to her. He babbled on and on about the human psyche, as he tended to do when drunk, and Dani half-listened as she drove. Sure, Bright could be irritating, but like this? It made her heart a little warmer, hearing him speak so passionately. She glanced at him, drunk and banged up but the light still in his eyes - the same light he had in the conference room as he dove into a profile. She had to white-knuckle the steering wheel to keep from reaching over the console and holding his hand.

When they finally got back to his building, Dani helped him upstairs and sat him down at the island. She'd done this enough times by now that she knew exactly where to find his first-aid kit. She brought it out, set it up on the island, then turned to Malcolm. He was mumbling something about pain receptors as she undid his tie, and unbuttoned his vest and shirt, which he shrugged off.

"Not even going to make me dinner first?" he joked, and Dani rolled her eyes.

"Shut up, Bright." She pulled out the peroxide, poured it onto a cotton pad, and started cleaning up the cuts on his face. He grimaced at the sting and Dani couldn't help but feel a little tiny bit satisfied.

She worked her way down his chest, cleaning gravel out of some of the cuts and examining his bruises. She made sure to check for broken ribs, too, just in case - but he was thankfully in one piece. She carefully placed band-aids on the cuts that were still bleeding, then put the first-aid kit away.

"I really am hungry, though," Malcolm called after her. "Can I have some twizzlers?"

"No, Bright, you're not having twizzlers - how about a grilled cheese?"

"Oh, yes, that'd be delightful," he slurred. Dani rolled her eyes again - Malcolm was such a child when he was drunk.

A short while later, she set the sandwich in front of him, along with a mug of green tea to help stave off the headache tomorrow morning. 

"Hey Daaaani, could you pretty please cut the crusts off for me?"he asked, and Dani sighed.

"Sure, Bright." She did so, and he grinned.

"Thank you!" He ate the sandwich contentedly and sipped at his warm tea. He looked more at peace than Dani had ever seen him. It took all her self-restraint to keep herself from pulling him into her arms and just holding him there.

Once he'd finished off his tea, gotten into sweatpants (Dani had to help him out of his shoes first), and taken his meds, Dani watched him stagger into bed and start struggling with his restraints. 

"Dani, um. My coordination is... lacking, at the moment."

"Need some help?"

"Yes, please."

She gently, but snugly, fastened his wrists into the restraints, then pulled the blanket over him and started to walk away.

"Oh, Dani, one more thing-"

"What is it?"

"Can I, I mean, could I please have a goodnight kiss?"

Dani tried to ignore the way her heart fluttered at his adorable request. She leaded over him and pressed a soft kiss to his forehead, then watched his face. His eyes were closed, and a small contented smile played on his lips.

"Goodnight, Bright."

"Night, Dani."

She settled down, scrolling on her phone until his breathing evened out, then dug out one of his spare blankets and crashed on the couch.

She was gently shaken awake by Malcolm, who smiled at her when her eyes fluttered open.

"Good morning, I went out and got us bagels for breakfast. I hope you don't mind," he said.

"Thanks," Dani mumbled.

"Oh, thanks for taking care of me last night. I especially appreciated the goodnight kiss," he said, smirking. "Yes, the tea had helped sober me up a bit so I asked just to be a brat, but you really did it and that was so sweet of you."

Dani didn't want to admit it, but she'd have done anything he asked her to. She always would. She fought to ignore the warmth swelling in her heart, to resist the urge to grab him and never let go. "What are friends for?"


End file.
